Millburn Democrats have selected Charu Goel, an executive at Bank of America, to run for a township committee seat in the November general election.
Goel replaces Mayor Magee Miggins, who dropped her re-election bid on August 18.
“We are thrilled to have Goel join the ticket and are excited for her personal and professional experiences she brings to the table,” said Democratic Municipal Chair Annette Romano, a township committeewoman. “Not only is she an active member of the community, but her background in finance is extensive, which will bring valuable expertise to the Township Committee.”
Goel and her running mate, Bruce Kramer, will face Republicans Frank Saccomandi and Ben Stoller in a contest for two open seats. Township Committeeman Sanjeev Vinayek is also not seeking re-election.
Saccomandi and Oyin Owolabi, a former school board member, lost township committee races in 2022 by about 400 votes; Rep. Mikie Sherrill won by 3,105 and Essex County Executive Joe DiVincenzo by 2,962.
“I am looking forward to bringing my financial know-how and my commitment to the community to help continue to move Millburn-Short Hills forward,” Goel stated. “Successive past Republican administrations ignored the crucial challenges facing our town. I am confident that my experience will help to bolster the progress the new Democratic majority has made to ensure that Millburn is on solid ground, and steadily continues moving in the right direction.”
Goel worked for Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs after working as a software developer in India and London.
Once a Republican stronghold, Millburn is now a solid Democratic municipality – except for local elections, where voters will sometimes split their tickets.
In 2021, Democrat Tara Prupis was re-elected to a second term against former Owolabi, but by just 563 votes, 55%-45% — 959 votes behind the top of the ticket.
Prupis had won her first race in 2018, unseating Republican Jodi Rosenberg (now a Superior Court judge) by 425 votes, 52%-48%. Menendez won 63% that year, and DiVincenzo took 69%. In the congressional race, Democrat Tom Malinowski carried Millburn by 3,488 votes, 69%-29%, against five-term Republican Rep. Leonard Lance.
The 2019 race was even closer. Republican Agnes Sym came within 79 votes of capturing a township committee seat against Wasserman. That came despite 2-1 victories by the two Democratic State Assembly incumbents, John McKeon and Mila Jasey, and interim Freeholder Romaine Graham carrying Millburn with 63%.